Bleach: The Twisted Flower
by Sir Godot
Summary: AU. The Shattered Shaft revealed something even Urahara did not expect: Ichigo is the reincarnation of Shiba Kaien. With Nejibana at his side, Ichigo sets out to save Rukia and to find out who he truly is. A struggle for his own identity begins...
1. Ch 1: Ripples on the Water's Surface

**Welcome to my newest story, "Bleach: The Twisted Flower". We all know that Ichigo bears some resemblance to Kaien, but how much exactly? And why? In this FF I'll reveal my own thoughts about this matter, so I hope you'll enjoy it.  
****And yes, I am aware that there is a FF called "Bleached" where Ichigo is Kaien's reincarnation. However, it hasn't been updated in ages and my story concept is quite different from it. **

**Enjoy the story,  
****Faroush**

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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Unfortunately.

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"Speech"  
"_Thought"  
_"**Hollow"**

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Bleach: The Twisted Flower

**Chapter 1: Ripples on the Water's Surface**

All that was around Ichigo was utter darkness. What had happened? Oh yeah, he had been training. At least that damn sandal-hat had called it training. Ichigo had called it torture. Seriously, first he got the shit beaten out of him by a little girl and then he was dropped into this god-forsaken shaft with his arms bound behind his back. And then his chain had started to dissolve. Yes, the last clear thing he remembered was how his Chain of Fate had started to eat itself. The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before. His mind had been overwhelmed by pure, undiluted emotions that lived at the back of the human brain, his true instincts. Oh, and it had been painful as this strange white liquid had started to pour out of his eyes and mouth, covering his face. Then the darkness had claimed him.

"Can you hear my voice?"

With a jolt Ichigo sat upright. He was no longer at the bottom of that strange shaft. But where was he? Muttering a silent, "Where the hell am I?" the orange-haired teenager began looking around and found himself on top of a giant water lily. The plant slowly drifted across what appeared to be an endless lake whose outer areas were covered in fog. Gazing into the distance Ichigo could see how numerous other water lilies floated across the water's surface, each of them with a single, closed pink blossom in the middle of them. After quickly reassuring himself that he wouldn't simply fall off, Ichigo looked around to identify the origin of the mysterious voice he had just heard.

"I'm over here."

Turning around Ichigo finally saw the origin of the mysterious voice. The figure was standing on top of a water lily similar to the one Ichigo was sitting on. It was hard to make out details, but Ichigo could tell that it was a woman. Her face was covered by an azure colored hood which was attached to the long azure rain cloak she wore. Under the hooded cloak she wore a slim-fitting white dress that reached to the bottom, covering the woman's feet entirely. The only other thing Ichigo could make out was her long silver hair which spilled from under the hood.

While Ichigo began wondering what a woman was doing in this place, and furthermore were this place way anyway, another question popped up in his mind.

"Who are you?"

Despite the distance, Ichigo could feel that the woman was not pleased by this question. "What do you mean with 'who'? Have you forgotten even my name? It's me, ~~~~~~~~"

When the mysterious woman spoke her name all that reached Ichigo's ears was the sound of waves crushing against a cliff. What was the meaning of this? And what did the woman mean with 'forgotten'?

"_What's going on? Why can't I hear her name? And how could I have forgotten her? I have never seen her before… right?"_

Yet for some reason Ichigo was unable to completely convince himself of this fact. Something about this woman just seemed so… familiar to him. The silver haired woman sighed.

"So you really have forgotten about me… My voice can no longer reach you. It's sad that you, who should know me better than anyone else and already knew me so well, have lost all of the memories we once shared."

Ichigo carefully stood up, making sure that he wouldn't accidentally cause the water lily he stood on to sink. "Uh, sorry lady, but are you sure you got the right guy? I mean sure, you do look somewhat familiar, but I don't remember – "

Ichigo's speech was cut short when suddenly a current that hadn't been there before moved his water lily dangerously fast, almost causing Ichigo to fall off. "What the hell is going on here?" Ichigo screamed.

"So I do seem familiar… Perhaps not all hope is lost just yet." The voice sounded much closer now, and indeed the water lily the woman stood on now drifted right beside Ichigo's. Ichigo wanted to ask the mysterious woman what was going on, but any attempts died off when the orange haired Shinigami-wannabe suddenly saw how a gigantic vortex had opened up in the middle of the lake. Ichigo's horrified expression was the complete opposite of the cloaked woman who had remained completely calm, despite their impending doom.

"How can you be so calm in a situation like this?" Ichigo shouted. His voice was a mix of anger, disbelief and simple, primitive fear.

If Ichigo had looked closely, he might have noticed the barest hint of a smile in the woman's face. "So you can still worry about others in a situation like this? That's promising. A Shinigami is one who governs over death. He has the duty to protect innocent souls, his comrades and those who cannot protect themselves."

"Right now I'm not a Shinigami." Ichigo muttered weakly, holding onto his water lily as if his life depended on it.

And it did to a certain degree. Unfortunately the vortex now had a firm grip on the two boarded lilies and after a particularly violent wave Ichigo was sent flying, falling directly into the eye of the vortex. Ichigo didn't scream. His mind was still trying to grasp what had happened. Just when the orange haired boy was about to resign himself to his fate, the mysterious woman suddenly was right at his side, falling together with him. But she didn't seem to mind that. Instead she calmly, yet urgently spoke to Ichigo.

"Remember! The Shinigami powers you lost when you fought Kuchiki Byakuya were only those you took from Kuchiki Rukia! The man didn't know he made a mistake. He didn't know you possessed Shinigami powers on your own, powers you had long forgotten and were only now reawakened."

Ichigo was confused. He kept falling and falling, but the vortex was much deeper than he had expected. And this woman…

"My… own Shinigami powers?"

"Yes. Your powers, which you lost due to a tragic accident, were never completely gone. When Kuchiki Rukia gave you her powers, she awakened the slumbering embers of your powers once again. When Kuchiki Byakuya attacked you, they hid themselves in the depths of your soul. But now you need them, or your body will turn into that of a Hollow. Find them! Find the flower from which your powers will blossom!"

Then it all became clear to Ichigo. The vortex was covered with the water lilies it was dragging into its depths. They surrounded him, and every single water lily held a flower. And while it did become clear to Ichigo, there was also a problem he noticed.

"How the hell am I supposed to find the correct lily here? There are hundreds of them!" He shouted angrily at the spirit.

"So what? Are you giving up that easily? There is no time! Find the flower!"

Ichigo's mind was racing. This was impossible! He had no time! And while the vortex was really deep, he could start to see the end of it, a dark black hole that seemed to swallow everything in its reach.

"Think Ichigo, think! There has to be a way to find the right flower! Wait! Ishida once said that a Shinigami's powers are red! That means that – !"

Ichigo's eyes frantically scanned the cascade of flowers before him. He had to find it! His time was running out!

Then he saw it. A single red water lily could be seen among the hundreds of pink ones. Ichigo didn't know how, but somehow he managed to approach the water lily which was still stuck in the vortex and held onto it. Carefully yet quickly he pried open the closed blossom. He stopped for a moment when he saw what was inside. It appeared to be a hilt of some sort. It was completely silver and adorned with a spiral that was wound around it.

Ichigo got out of his stupor when he heard the mysterious woman shout something at him.

"Now! Pull it out! Remember my name and call me forth!"

There was no hesitation. With his eyes shining with confidence Ichigo gripped the handle and started to pull. The woman was right. He knew her name. It was like a memory long forgotten came to the surface again, rising from the depths of his mind.

"Rankle the Sea and the Skies… - "

With a might pull Ichigo freed his weapon from its prison. A brilliant blue light shone around him when it was completely exposed. In his hand Ichigo now held a beautiful trident that was even larger than he was himself. The whole weapon seemed to be completely made of silver, and only a blue tassel at the top was not in the same color.

Yes, this was his weapon, his own Zanpakuto. And the name of his Zanpakuto was…

"Nejibana!"

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Under Urahara's shop

Urahara Kisuke watched silently how his 'employee' and old friend Tessai restrained on Kurosaki Ichigo with Kidō. While his outwards appearance seemed calm and composed, the 'humble shopkeeper' was actually quite worried. It had been a lie that Ichigo would have recovered his Shinigami powers by climbing out of the Shattered Shaft. The only way for the boy to acquire his own powers was to enter his inner world and find them. But for a living soul to enter this place was almost impossible, and only those on the verge of Hollowfication had a chance, if they possessed dormant Shinigami powers that was. Even so… the chance the orange haired teen would turn into a Hollow instead of a Shinigami was still quite high.

"_If it comes to it, I'll personally purify him. I won't let him turn into a monster." _

A sudden shout from Tessai alerted the green clad shopkeeper. It was incredible! The boy had managed to break the restraints and had escaped the Shattered Shaft. But as what? Was he a Shinigami… or a Hollow? When Ichigo had landed outside of the shaft, he had created a huge dust cloud, making it difficult to see him clearly. Urahara could see how Jinta readied his club to be prepared for a possible Hollow attack.

"Don't attack him yet, Jinta-kun. We have yet to see what we have to deal with." Urahara said calmly, although his right hand gripped his cane tightly. He sincerely hoped that he wouldn't have to use the blade that laid hidden in the cane.

The smoke slowly vanished and revealed a person clad in black. Those were definitely the robes of a Shinigami and a Zanpakuto in his hand! Did that mean Ichigo had succeeded? No… it was too early for a celebration. While Ichigo now wore the clothes he had worn while using Kuchiki Rukia's powers and held a sword, he had changed. His bright orange hair, which had always been cut short, had grown longer so that some of the bangs now reached his face. And while they had grown longer altogether, they were much longer at the back of his head, now reaching to the point between his shoulder blades, giving his hair a mullet style. Yet this wasn't what kept the shopkeeper on edge, he wouldn't even have blinked if Ichigo had left the shaft bald. It was the mask that covered his – hopefully – future student's face. The white mask covered which covered his entire face had only two features: its large yet human teeth, and its eyes – and it wasn't the teeth that sent a shiver down Urahara's spine. The eyes were large, black, circular holes and with an orange flame pattern around them.

The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes. Who was in control? Was it the Hollow or Ichigo? All his doubts and concerns were washed away when suddenly the silent figure of Ichigo smashed the hilt of his sword into his mask and shattered it.

"He really became a Shinigami…" Jinta muttered in disbelief.

His boss however, merrily snapped his fan open and grinned at the freshly born Shinigami. "My my, it appears you successfully passed the second test, Kurosaki-san! Congratulations!"

Urahara expected the boy to lash out at him, happy to have escaped the shaft and able to exact his vengeance upon him. But instead of charging at the green clad shopkeeper, Ichigo just looked at his sword with an odd expression on his face. It was just an average looking katana with a rectangular round edged cross guard and a dark blue hilt. The shopkeeper was a little surprised that Ichigo had immediately managed to reform his sword upon returning from the shaft. And something about his sword was bugging him. It was as if he had seen it somewhere before… But that was impossible. Thus Urahara decided to return to more important matters, namely Ichigo's unfinished training

"Kurosaki-san? Can you hear me? I thought you'd like to continue with the third test."

Ichigo averted his gaze from his blade and instead looked at Urahara, his eyes not completely focused. He looked like someone who was seeing a phantom of some sorts. Ichigo's next words were only whispered, and yet Urahara understood them perfectly.

"Captain… Urahara?"

The exiled Shinigami felt as if someone had emptied a bucket full of ice water over him. Ichigo had just called him a captain – and there should be no way for him to have known of this. Furthermore he had called him a captain although he had been banished over a hundred years ago, so only one older than these one hundred years should be able to know of his former position. He needed to act completely unsuspicious, quickly. Sadly Urahara's acting skills left much to be desired.

"Captain? Me? My my Kurosaki-san, you must have hit your head somewhere! I do not see any ships nearby, and why would a captain own a candy shop?"

The exposed captain could feel how a little bit of cold sweat ran down his back when Ichigo continued to look at him with glassy eyes. Then the orange haired teen blinked twice and shook his head, banishing the glassy look from his eyes.

"Eh, what were we talking about? Sorry, I think I kinda spaced out for a moment."

The shopkeeper silently let out the breath he had been holding. He didn't know what had happened to Ichigo, but at least he had returned to normal. He couldn't risk Ichigo finding out about his captain status just yet, especially since he had been banished. It would hardly do him any good in the trust department.

"Well, it must have been taxing to master the Shattered Shaft, so it's no wonder you were a little light-headed, isn't it? Do you want to take a break before we start with the third test?"

Ichigo shook his head and looked at the shopkeeper. "No, I think I need to burn off some energy. Oh… and I did promise to kill you for dropping me into this hellhole over there, didn't I?" By now Ichigo's face adorned a grin that could only be described as feral.

Urahara chuckled. "I guess you did. You'll like the third test then. Your last test is simple: you have to knock my hat from my head. If you can do that even once – "

He never got to finish the sentence. The moment he had described the test, Ichigo had lunged at him, his sword raised high. The exiled captain managed to dodge with a backwards leap, but his student didn't stop there. He immediately began to pursue his target. And Urahara couldn't help but to wonder about Ichigo's skill level.

"_Something's not right. Even if he had some experience fighting Hollows, his skill level is that of an experienced Shinigami with decades of practice. And his sword… he handles it too well for holding it the first time. His first sword was much larger and quite different to handle, yet he wields a normal katana much better. This isn't something you can do with talent alone. This is… pure experience!"_

The former captain blocked Ichigo's last strike with his cane, his expression devoid of any mirth. Something was wrong with Ichigo. In the beginning he had attacked the former captain with a serious expression on his face. Now his face was a mask of concentration and his eyes had once again lost their shine. It was as if he was fighting a machine. With a push of his cane Urahara managed to send the newborn Shinigami flying, creating some distance between them.

Only absentmindedly the shopkeeper noticed how Tessai climbed out of the shaft and joined Jinta and Ururu in watching the battle. Something was happening to Ichigo, something he had not predicted. He couldn't afford to let his guard down. And yet nothing could have prepared him for what happened next.

Ichigo held out his right arm, his sword firmly in his hands. Then he slowly started to spin the sword in a circular backwards motion and slowly a yellow light started to come from the weapon.

"Rankle the Sea and the Skies…"

Urahara involuntarily lowered his guard. There was no way he could have achieved Shikai already, not without guidance. And that incantation… it couldn't be – !

"Nejibana!"

With a final swing Ichigo now held a mix between a trident and a Chinese halberd. The silver weapon was longer than Ichigo was tall and was decorated with a blue tassel just below the blades. Now Urahara knew what had disturbed him when he had first seen Ichigo's new sword. He had already seen it before! It was the sword of…

"Shiba Kaien… It cannot be – "

"Boss! Watch out!"

Tessai's loud voice snapped the exiled captain out of his stupor, and just in time. Not a second later Ichigo was in front of the shop owner, swinging his trident with deadly accuracy. And just like the former captain remembered from a hundred years ago, powerful waves of water followed the teen's swings. There was no doubt, this was truly Nejibana, the sword of the by now deceased lieutenant of the 13th Division, Shiba Kaien. But how could Ichigo possess it?

All thoughts and theories had to wait for now. Ichigo appeared to be running on pure instinct, pushing Urahara back more and more. After an especially powerful blow send Urahara skidding backwards, the exiled captain used the chance to release his own Shikai.

"Awaken, Benihime!" There was no way around it; he had to knock him out. It didn't seem like Ichigo would wake up on his own in the near future. Urahara swung his sword, releasing crimson energy from his sword.

"Binding, Benihime." The energy condensed upon its master's command, forming a multitude of crimson colored threads that proceeded to wrap around the orange haired teen and completely restrained his movements. Ichigo couldn't move at all and thus was unable to block Urahara when he chopped Ichigo's neck, knocking him out for good. Ichigo's body slackened and remained only upright because of the crimson threads that were still wrapped around him. The bucket-hat wearing man let out a sigh of relief and returned his sword to its sealed form, banishing the threads along with it. Before Ichigo could hit the ground he was caught by Tessai who easily lifted the young Shinigami up. The trident glowed for a moment before it returned to its katana shape. Both Urahara and Tessai silently stared at the sword as the shopkeeper put it back into its sheath at Ichigo's side.

It was Tessai who broke the tense silence. "Boss… this sword…"

The former captain nodded, his expression unexpected grim. "Yes Tessai-san, there's no doubt. This is indeed the sword that belonged to the now deceased lieutenant of the 13th Division, Shiba Kaien. Nejibana… I'd never have expected to see it again."

"What does this mean? Both for the boy and the mission I mean."

A shadow was cast over Urahara's eyes by his hat as he started to explain his theories. "I don't know yet Tessai-san. It might be possible that Ichigo simply inherited the same sword as Kaien-san did. I heard of a similar case in Soul Society not too long ago. Two academy students both acquired the same sword and were forced to fight against each other. But I think there's more to this than we think. Kurosaki-san called me 'Captain Urahara'. Thus I think there's a high chance that Kurosaki-san has access to the memories of Kaien-san, whom I did meet when I was still a captain. Furthermore Kurosaki-san fought me on a level he shouldn't have achieved yet, especially not with a weapon he has never wielded before."

A sigh escaped the former captain of the 12th Division. "This complicates things… On the other hand this might also be a great chance. Kaien-san was a genius, surpassed by only two other Shinigami in regard of raw talent. We'll have to see just who exactly it is that inhabits the body of Kurosaki Ichigo before we can act. But if he is indeed what I think he is, we might just be able to throw a wrench in Aizen's plans."

Tessai nodded silently. Their plan had born an unexpected fruit. Now they had to see just what kind of fruit it would be.

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When Ichigo opened his eyes, he was once again greeted by the sight of the seemingly unending lake he had been to before. To his relief the waters had calmed down again, and the water lilies drifted peacefully across the water's surface.

"I see you've returned."

Ichigo turned his head and was only a little surprised to see the silver haired woman from earlier. She was standing on a water lily not too far from his own. Her face was still covered by her hood, but now Ichigo could see what lay behind the shadows. She had a beautiful face and shining teal colored eyes.

"What happened?" Ichigo asked. "I remember that I was fighting with Sandal-Hat, but at some point I… I…" Ichigo stopped. What _had_ happened to him?

"It appears you were overwhelmed by your memories." The woman said calmy. Ichigo's eyes widened a little when the woman stepped over her water lily and walked towards him – her feet connecting with the water as if it was solid ground.

"My… memories? Why would they overwhelm me?" Ichigo asked in confusion.

The hooded woman's expression remained serious as she reached Ichigo's water lily. "These memories are not yet completely known to you. Those memories belonged to another 'you', a 'you' that died a long time ago. When you released your own Shinigami powers, those memories were pulled to the surface along with your power."

Ichigo was stunned. "Another me…? Rukia told me that souls that go to Soul Society are reborn at some point, but how should I be able to remember…? Urgh - !"

Suddenly a blinding headache befell Ichigo, who clutched his head in pain. He heard voices, unknown and yet familiar. Disconnected pictures, faces… And while everything seemed so clear, so easy to take a hold off, they all eluded his grasp. The pain slowly subsided, and when Ichigo opened his eyes again he could see how the woman looked at him with a sad smile on her beautiful face.

"It must be so painful. You are more than just the memories of your past self since you made many memories on your own in your new life. In time everything will return to you. And then we will see how your mind will develop from there."

Ichigo rubbed his temples with his hands in hope of banishing the remains of the headache this way. "What do you mean 'will develop'? I'm still me, right? I am… I… am…"

"_Kurosaki Ichigo!" "Shiba Kaien!"_

Ichigo groaned in pain as his headache started to get worse again. What was going on? Who was Shiba Kaien? What was he thinking? He was Shiba Kaien… No…

"Aaaaaaaaaargh!"

Ichigo screamed as the pain became unbearable for him. His fingers started to dig into his skin as he clutched his head, unable to withstand the new onslaught of memories.

And then it stopped.

Ichigo blinked a few times as he tried to figure out what had happened just now. It was then that he realized that the silver haired woman was hugging him. Her embrace made the pain ebb away, and a profound calm overcame Ichigo. The teen slowly closed his eyes and bathed in the warmth the woman seemed to radiate. It was as if all his troubles did not matter anymore. For the first time since what felt like an eternity, Ichigo felt at peace.

"It's alright." The woman whispered. "I'll be there for you. No matter who you were or are now, Kaien or Ichigo, I'll always be at your side. As long as you trust in me, I'll lend you my strength for any ordeal you have to pass."

Her words were like a light of hope in the darkness. Ichigo felt how his consciousness started to fade away. But it was alright this time. There was nothing to fear. He was not alone.

"Thank you." Ichigo whispered. "Thank you, Nejibana"

With a smile on his face, Ichigo sank into the darkness. A smile that was mirrored by his Zanpakutō spirit.

"No… thank you, Ichigo… Kaien. It was you who freed me from the darkness. And this time, we will not fade away again. I promise."

**The Twisted Flower, Chapter One: Ripples on the Water's Surface **

**The End **

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And that concludes the first chapter, I hope you liked it. If you have any questions, either ask them in review or send me a PM, I'll answer in both cases^^ Anyway, the plot itself won't be drastically changed. The Soul Society Arc will proceed normally, just with some twists here and there. There might be greater changes along the way, but I haven't planned that much ahead.

**Oh yeah, on a side note, this FF will be Ichigo x Rukia. I like the pairing and with Kaien added to the mix Drama is guaranteed. Yes, I now that I'm evil.**

**Please review if you liked it, constructive criticism is the best a writer can ask for from his readers.**

**Until we meet again,  
Faroush**


	2. Ch 2: The Calm before the Storm

**Welcome to the second chapter of "Bleach: The Twisted Flower". I'm really happy about the reviews you've sent me, the feedback was incredibly positive. I guess a lot of people were waiting for another FF with this plot twist^^**

**I apologize for the long wait, but my university courses started recently and I'm still adjusting. Furthermore I couldn't really bring myself to write this chapter since it was mostly talking, thus I also made it shorter than the first chapter. I hope you'll still enjoy it and I promise that the next one will be out sooner.**

**Enjoy the story,  
****Faroush**

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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Unfortunately. If I did the power levels wouldn't be determined by mullets.

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"Speech"  
"_Thought"  
_"**Hollow"**

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Bleach: The Twisted Flower

**Chapter 2: The Calm before the Storm**

Ichigo didn't know how much time had passed when he opened his eyes again. But when he saw the wooden ceiling and traditional Japanese furniture, he knew that he was no longer in his mind. The long haired teenager slowly sat up so he wouldn't aggravate his sore muscles any further by moving too fast. When he had finished the slightly painful process, he simply sat there and let his mind drift to the events he had recently experienced. Rukia had been taken back to Soul Society for her own execution. He had regained his Shinigami powers and met the spirit of his own Zanpakutō, Nejibana. And lastly… he had regained his memories.

Memories of his previous life, his life as Shiba Kaien.

It felt surreal for the young Shinigami. It was like there was a completely different set of memories under his 'Ichigo' ones. When he closed his eyes and recalled them, they felt as he had experienced them only yesterday. Of course, there wasn't much to recall yet. It was all very confusing for Ichigo. He knew for example that he had never met Urahara Kisuke until Rukia had introduced the shopkeeper to him. And yet he knew that the same man had been captain of the 12th Division a hundred years ago.

And it wasn't only his memories which were going haywire. His entire worldview had shifted. Ichigo felt like someone had removed a limiter which had been placed on all his senses. Thinking felt so… different. Ichigo couldn't really explain how he felt.

He knew only one thing: he was no longer 'just' Kurosaki Ichigo. His mind had regained something he hadn't known he had been missing. But who was he now? Was he Kurosaki Ichigo, a young boy who had been dragged into the world of Shinigami a few weeks ago, or was Shiba Kaien, the prodigious lieutenant of the 13th Division of the Gotei 13? It was even difficult to refer to himself as 'Ichigo' in his mind since a constantly stronger growing voice in his head insisted on him calling himself 'Kaien'. It was all so damn confusing…

"Ah. I see you have awakened."

Ichigo's head snapped upwards when he heard the new voice. He winced slightly when his neck muscles protested against the harsh treatment and did his best to ignore the pain. Ichigo looked around and saw that it was Urahara Kisuke who had addressed him.

"_He isn't just a simple shopkeeper, he was once the captain of the 12__th__ Division. I wonder why he is here. I only heard rumors about his disappearance…"_

Ichigo blinked in confusion. Had he just thought that? It had felt like him, but how had he known this. It was then that Ichigo realized what had happened: his mind was adapting to Kaien's memories, integrating them actively in thought processes. It felt strange for Ichigo, since it was like hearing it for the first time and recalling something at the same time.

Ichigo's thoughts were once again interrupted by Urahara, who had walked closer to the makeshift bed Ichigo way lying on.

"How are you feeling? I have to admit, you surprised me quite a bit with the stunt you pulled yesterday. And this very stunt leads me to another, very important question."

The ex-captain squatted down and looked the orange haired teenager directly into the eyes.

"Who am I talking to right now? Are you Kurosaki Ichigo or are you Shiba Kaien?"

Ichigo immediately froze when he heard the shopkeeper mention the second name. His eyes went wide and he wanted nothing more than to ask the former captain what he knew – but all that came out of Ichigo's mouth were stutters no one could possibly understand. Urahara simply chuckled.

"Relax, will you? Yes, I do know about Shiba Kaien, and your reaction just proved that you do too. Kaien was the lieutenant of the 13th Division, one of the thirteen squads of Soul Society that protect souls from Hollows. I don't know the details, but one of my contacts told me that Kaien was killed by a Hollow roughly 50 years ago. But the moment I saw your sword Nejibana assume its true form, I knew that he had been reborn. Now tell me, Kurosaki-san, Shiba-san, who is it that lives in your head now?"

Silence followed after Urahara's explanation. It took Ichigo a while to come up with an answer for this question since he didn't really know himself.

"I… I'm still mostly Ichigo I think. I can feel Kaien's memories and feelings inside me. And I can feel how they are my emotions too. I feel like I see everything from a different perspective now. It's strange… I should feel like I was losing myself, but rather… I feel like I'm finally on my way to become 'complete'." After his monologue Ichigo chuckled lightly and gave the shopkeeper a sheepish grin – something the old Ichigo never would have done.

"Does this make any sense to you, Captain Urahara?"

While Urahara didn't known Ichigo very good, he knew that this was definitely not his normal behavior. According to Isshin the boy had almost stopped smiling after his mother's demise. And yet here he was, in a situation direr than anything he had encountered so far and still able to smile. Yes, this had definitely a touch of Kaien's unstoppable optimism for which the lieutenant had been well known for a hundred years ago.

The shop owner chuckled. "Yes, this makes indeed sense to me, as strange as it sounds. It looks like you got lucky. Instead of creating a split personality when reawakening your old memories, the memories merged, creating a new personality altogether. It might take some time for you to remember everything, but I'm sure it will happen in time."

"However…" Then the blonde haired man's expression turned serious, what made a shiver run down Ichigo's spine. "What should we call you from now on? Ichi-kai, Kai-go, Ichi-en or something else?"

The question was asked with a completely straight face and made Ichigo palm his own face in frustration. This man hadn't changed at all in one hundred years…

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The next ten days practically flew by as the reborn Shinigami trained with both Urahara and Tessai. Ichigo had a lot of ground to cover to regain all of the abilities Kaien had held when he had been alive. While the former captain mercilessly drilled him in the art of Zanjutsu and Hōhō, Tessai told him how to use Kidō. And while Ichigo struggled a little in the beginning, the result was incredible. After ten days of torture, eh, _training_, Ichigo was almost as strong as Kaien had been in his prime. Of course he still hadn't perfected fighting with Nejibana or all of the Kidō spells his former self had known, but it was a start.

The seventh month came to an end soon afterwards and it was time for Ichigo to return home. It would be one of the last times where he would be simply Kurosaki Ichigo.

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August 8

_th__, around 1 am_

Ichigo was sitting on his bed, patiently waiting for _something_ to happen. Like instructed by Urahara he had opened his window and was waiting for some kind of signal that would inform him about the shopkeeper's plans. As he waited Ichigo reflected on the last week. After he had finished his training, Ichigo had returned to his family to spend the week with them while Urahara and Tessai were opening a path to Soul Society. It had been a strange experience for Ichigo. His whole body had felt oddly uncomfortable, as if it was a number too small. And how could that be possible, it was his own body after all! His hair was another thing. For some reason it had grown faster than it should have, bringing it somewhere to a length between how it was originally and how it was when he had left the Shattered Shaft.

'_I just hope I only imagined the black hair I found… It'd really strange if my hair suddenly became black. … Damn, I really hope that won't happen. How the hell could I explain it?'_

Ichigo's hair-concerning thoughts were quickly interrupted when suddenly some sort of projectile flew through his open window at high speeds and exploded upon hitting the wall.

With a startled yell of "What the hell?", Ichigo watched as a blood like liquid ran down his wall, leaving a creepy looking message at his wall. The message read:

"COMETH IMMEDIATELY TO THE FRONT OF THE URAHARA STORE."

Using the power of anger to overcome the approaching heart attack, Ichigo yelled angrily. "What the hell is that lunatic doing to my room? This looks like some sort of dying message from a crime scene written in the victim's own blood! … And this better not stain my wall!"

Ichigo stopped his rant when he saw that the blood like substance was forming something else beneath the message. It started with a 'P.S.' "Huh? P.S.?"

The message read: "P.S: ANYONE WHO SEES THIS AND THINKS SOMETHING ORDINARY LIKE 'IT LOOKS LIKE A DYING MESSAGE'…

… has no talent for comedy."

"Shut the hell up!" Ichigo shouted angrily, throwing a pillow against the wall.

He clung to the dim hope that it would somehow end up hurting the crazy bucket hat. Unfortunately, his prayers remained unanswered. Ichigo sighed. A part of him (the Kaien part no doubt) was currently laughing his off. The whole 'reborn' thing might be more troublesome than he had expected…

* * *

When Ichigo arrived at the Urahara Shop a little later he was greeted by a surprise guest. He completely ignored Kisuke's welcome, too great was the surprise to see his friend in this place.

"Chad?" Ichigo asked, his eyes wide. "What are you doing here?"

The half-Mexican was as serious as always when he said, "Kuchiki Rukia… she saved me once. I'm going too."

Ichigo was truly surprised. He hadn't seen that one coming. But his surprise soon turned into gratitude. His friend was really prepared to stand by his side and that even after Urahara had probably explained the dangers to him. "I'm glad that you'll have my back for this, Chad. Thanks."

A small smile graced Chad's lips. He hadn't expected Ichigo to be so accepting about this, but apparently the shopkeeper had said the truth when he had told him that Ichigo's personality had changed a little.

Another voice suddenly spoke up from behind Ichigo. "I'm surprised you're not surprised, Kurosaki."

Ichigo turned around, only to see Uryū standing there in a strange white outfit. He raised an eyebrow. He certainly hadn't expected to see the Quincy who had sworn vengeance upon the entire Shinigami race.

"Ishida? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked with a mix of confusion and apprehension in his voice.

"I can't let it end with me losing to these Shinigami. I'll go too." The last Quincy replied, his face a mask of grim determination.

And just when Ichigo thought there couldn't be any more surprises, a new voice announced the arrival of yet another person.

"Now we're all here." Ichigo blinked. This voice was definitely female… and kinda familiar.

The reborn lieutenant turned his head only to see the only other person with naturally orange hair he knew. "Inoue? You're here too?" He asked in disbelief.

The cheerful girl nodded happily before bowing slightly. "I'm looking forward to be working with you." She announced happily.

It became clear that Ichigo's personality had changed since regaining some of his memories as Shiba Kaien because he didn't turn into a stuttering mess upon seeing his classmates arrive, apparently knowing the complete truth about Kuchiki Rukia. Instead he simply looked at them before saying:

"Huh, didn't expect that. Now, before I ask you if you're completely sure about doing this and know of the dangers this little trip will entice, anyone else who's spontaneously going to join me?"

"No, not spontaneously. I had pretty much planned to go with you from the beginning."

Ichigo twitched slightly. Great, yet another person who wanted to join on the little trip he had originally planned to go on alone. But who was it? He didn't know anyone with such a deep voice. The orange haired teen turned around to see the unknown person, but all he saw…

Was a black cat.

Ichigo looked at the cat. The cat looked at Ichigo.

"What is it? Cat caught your tongue?"

The living Shinigami blinked. Had that cat just…?

"Uh, guys? Am I imagining things or did that cat just _talk_?" Ichigo asked, every fiber of his being desperately hoping that he was indeed imagining things. Perhaps there had been more inside that balloon than just blood like liquid…

"No, you're not imagining things. Yoruichi-san is the one who trained us in controlling our powers in the last weeks." Chad answered calmly, knowing the signs of a mental breakdown when seeing them.

Yoruichi… that named turned some gears in Ichigo's head. He had heard it before, and yes, _she_ had been friends with the eccentric shopkeeper if he remembered correctly…

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose while closing his eyes, fighting a forming headache. Then he slowly spoke to the cat, trying to ignore the fact that he was talking to a, well, cat.

"Are you _that_ Yoruichi-san? Or did the Sandal-Hat over there somehow cook up a talking cat and named it after his old friend? Although it'd be kinda strange to call a cat with such a masculine voice after a woman…"

Everyone looked at Ichigo with confusion in their eyes. Well, everyone but Yoruichi of course. The black cat seemed to smirk, a remarkable feat for a cat.

"So Kisuke said the truth… I didn't believe him at first when he told me that you were the reincarnation of Shiba Kaien… Very interesting."

While the expression of confusion on the faces of Ichigo's friends only grew, Urahara clutched his chest in an overly dramatic way and acted heartbroken.

"Oh Yoruichi-san, your words wound me! How could you even consider the very possibility of _me_ lying to you? I am heartbroken!"

"No you're not." Ichigo said flatly. He looked at his friends and could feel the unasked question hanging in the air.

"We better go inside. I'll explain everything to you."

Uryū, Chad and Orihime exchanged a glance before nodding simultaneously. Little did they know that the next hour would be one of the most surprising ones of their entire lives.

* * *

After climbing down into Urahara's ridiculously large cave, the three newcomers turned their heads to Ichigo. As an uncomfortable silence settled down, Orihime decided to break it.

"Kurosaki-kun… What did Yoruichi-san mean when she said you were the reincarnation of… eh, what was his name again?"

Orihime blushed a little at forgetting the name and tried to cover it up with laughing sheepishly. Not missing a beat, Uryū came to her rescue.

"I believe his name was Shiba Kaien… Now, Kurosaki-san, who is this mysterious Kaien-person?"

Uryū's eyes stared intently at Ichigo. There was no malice in them though – yet. From the short time Ichigo had known the last Quincy he had realized that he didn't like to be kept out of something. The orange haired teenager sent a last sneaking glance at Chad who hadn't said anything yet. However, Ichigo had spent enough time with the calm giant to know what his friend was thinking. He was curious and slightly apprehensive, just like the other two.

Ichigo swallowed hard and looked slightly down when he began to speak. "You see… About two weeks ago I trained with Urahara-san to regain my Shinigami powers which were destroyed by one of the Shinigami who came to take Rukia back to Soul Society. But when I regained them, something was off. My head was suddenly full of memories, memories that weren't mine – or at least I thought so in the beginning."

The reborn Shinigami raised his head and looked his friends straight in the eyes. "Those memories _were_ my memories… Memories of a different life. My life as… a Shinigami."

This one sentence caused everyone's eyes to widen.

"So you're saying… that you were this Shiba Kaien in your previous life, Kurosaki-san?" Uryū asked calmly. When he considered the possibility of this being true, the glasses wearing teenager felt the oh-so familiar hatred against Shinigami swell up in his chest again. Had he been right about Ichigo all along? Was he one of _them_, and not just a victim of circumstances?

Uryū quelled his anger – for now. He had decided to trust Ichigo. Unless he proved himself to be like the Shinigami he had sworn to hate he'd treat him as before.

Before Ichigo could answer Uryū's question, Inoue spoke up. "D-does that mean there is no longer Kurosaki-kun in Kruosaki-kun?" Inoue asked with a shocked voice.

The long haired girl was afraid. Was the boy she had had a crush on for the longest time no longer there? No, that couldn't be, he had acted as always! …Although, he had been a little friendlier than usual… and he even smiled in the last two weeks when she had seen him, something that had never happened before.

Chad decided to remain silent for now. Ichigo would tell them everything. The half-Mexican could feel that his friend was still there, no matter what had happened.

"Well," Ichigo began. "It's true that I have changed with remembering my life as Kaien Shiba. I was a lieutenant back then, although a few decades have passed since then… Anyway, I am still me. Mostly. Damn, how should I explain this?"

Ichigo grabbed his head in frustration. "There are two of me and yet we're both one… It's not like Kaien replaced Ichigo or something like that. It's more like we… merged and gained almost all traits of both personalities."

"So that's why you smiled that much more in the last two weeks." Inoue said with an expression that suggested that she had just had an 'aha-moment'.

Ichigo couldn't help but to snort at that – another thing the old Ichigo would hardly have done. "Yes, you're right. I was a lot more easy-going back then. Makes me wonder why Ichigo's brooding so much anyway. Eh…"

Ichigo could see how everyone's expression had once again turned into confusion when he had referred to himself in third person.

"You see, there are still two different mind sets inside me… It'll take a little longer to get completely settled. So don't worry when I refer to myself as Ichigo sometimes and Kaien at another time, ok?"

Ichigo rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin on his face.

"I think we'll be able to manage that, Ichigo." Chad said with his deep voice and a smile on his lips.

Uryū smirked when he pushed his glasses up a little. "Well, at least Kaien-san seems to be competent if he was a lieutenant back in his days. It's good to know that we can at least count on one half of you."

Although it was a little mean to say that (since Uryū was immediately reprimanded by Inoue), there was no real bite in it. No, this was more of playful banter between two friends.

When he saw how everyone accepted him as who he was, Ichigo couldn't help but to smile – and this time Kaien had nothing to do with it.

"It's time."

The group turned their heads to Urahara, who had watched their little talk silently. The normally cheerful man was completely serious and reminded Ichigo once again just why this man had become a captain.

"Alright guys," Ichigo said to his friends while securing Nejibana with his hand. "Let's go. Rukia's waiting for us."

Shiba Kaien was back. And he had some unfinished business to attend to.

**

* * *

**

And that was chapter two. Not much action yet, I know, but I promise that the next ones will involve a lot more fighting scenes. I also started another project, a collection of first chapters where I put everything that might become a full story one day. You might want to watch out for it, since the first chapter is a Bleach x Kingdom Hearts Crossover.^^ You can find the story collection under my profile, it's called 'Excess Fantasy'.

**Until we meet again,  
Faroush**


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